A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith

As we know, it was God’s undeniable sense of justice that demanded that He allow Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross. However, it was God’s mercy that allowed this perfect human to be killed for the sin of all mankind. While we can do nothing to earn and thereby exact from God forgiveness, we are able to come humbly and ask for forgiveness that can only be given by a merciful Lord.

The Message says in I John 1 verses 5 through 7, “This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace in darkness in him.

“If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth–we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s son, purges all our sin.”

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While we cannot earn our deliverance. We can live our deliverance. Though in her early 20’s Polly lived a life that would make a sailor blush. Before she was in her teen’s, she knew more about worldly activities than many others who have lived long, hard years of debauchery. But she had a heart that yearned for God’s kiss of mercy. Her walk for complete of deliverance has been hard because there is no family support or living arrangements that would encourage Christ-like deportment.

A few years ago, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. Slow but surely she is walking toward the wholeness that God’s mercy promises. I’m learning from her by her misses, skips and successes. I’m grateful that she is a part of my life and I’m able to be a part of her growth.

Within the mentally challenged community, there are many young adults like Polly. It is a joy to be included in the sphere of their friends.

In the past weeks, I’ve been going over some of the key words in our covenant relationship with God with the members of my community who are intellectually disabled. Perhaps one of the most important words we use is grace.

Most of us have learned and maybe we even remember

God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense

This is great explanation of grace and the first one I could readily remember. However, it is a bit churchy sounding for many people.

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Then there is the wonderful explanation: Unmerited favor. I love this simple explanation that encapsulates the amazing concept of grace in two words.

However, trying to explain grace seemed harder than I had imagined to our members. They didn’t grasp the whole acrostic idea. And while unmerited favor seems simple enough, even the members who remember the two-word definition could not comprehend what it meant.

Therefore, we worked our way into another definition that they understood and fully appreciated. Grace is receiving a gift we don’t deserve.

Receiving a gift we don’t deserve is not as catchy at the acrostic or as short as “unmerited favor” but our members understand it and have grasped its meaning. The process of discovering a definition that they can easily understand and remember has also heightened my understanding and appreciate of God’s amazing grace.

Today, I heard again the Christmas song about the little boy whose mother is dying on Christmas eve and he wants to buy her shoes to wear as she goes into heaven. He doesn’t have enough money to buy the shoes and a person in line gives him the money he needs. It’s never been my favorite Christmas song because of the obvious sentimentality. The song was never realistic to me. Yet, it deliberately strokes my heart strings with grief and sorrow.

However, I heard it in the context of a devotion by a pastor who shared the song. He spoke about his wife who died of cancer when his two daughters were teenagers. Unashamed, the Man of God cried as he read the words, remembering the first Christmas his daughters experienced without their mother.

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Many people who are intellectually disabled come perplexed to the crossroads of holidays with mixed emotions. During this time, why should they have to struggle to walk in joy when it seems easier to become swallowed by grief? We must not forget that people who are mentally challenged may not have the cognitive ability or possess the navigational tools which help them to choose the joyful paths which allow them to experience peace as they remember loved ones lost through death or separation.

Distraction may be the best way to redirect their thoughts. However, I try always to pray out loud for our members who are grieving during this time. A hug and quick prayer for them works miracles. The prayer I often pray is, “Father, bless my good friend as she grieves for her loss. Help her to remember that her loved one is no longer in need of prayer. Let her find your peace for today and for the rest of this joyful time.” As I release them from the hug, I smile and encourage my member to also smile.

Does it always work? Nope. But at least he knows that God and I love him and that God cares enough to take time to hear his prayer. That is, of course, the work God has called us to to do. What is something that you use to help your members who are grieving during holidays?

Maddie is one of those people within the mentally challenged community whom everyone loves. She is friendly and happy. Maddie makes everyone feel as though they are her “extra-special friend.” Several years ago Mattie and her husband moved from our city to a small town out of the state. Because I assumed that I’d never see her again, I didn’t pay much attention to the name of the city or the state. Mattie often called me with prayer requests.

She called when her cat was sick and later when her cat died. She called to let me know that she was sick and called often to ask for prayer for her farm animals. There was no doubt in my mind that Maddie was sincere and that these prayer requests were important to her. However, I didn’t pay much attention to her “simple” daily needs.

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Last week Maddie called. It was Saturday morning. I was extremely busy and I had no intention of answering the phone. Yet, by mistake, I did answer. Calmly, Maddie said, “Linda, I need prayer.” This wasn’t a surprise. Maddie only called when she needed prayer. I expected to hear about a pig or a chicken that was sick. “Michael just died,” she reported without emotion.

“What, Hon?” I asked, “Who died?”

“Michael. Michael just died.”

“Are you talking about Michael? Your Michael?”

“Yes, my Michael, just died. The people from the morgue left a few minutes ago.” Her quiet composure shocked me. She continued, “Can you come to the funeral?”

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I explained that I could not possibly come because I was going on a trip the next day and I’d be out-of-state for a little more than a week. I prayed for her and we hung up. After the phone call, I started to wonder in what state they were living. I called Maddie back and found out that she is in Tennessee–the state where I was visiting. “I can’t make any promises,” I told her, “but I may be able to attend Michael’s funeral.”

The town where she lives is about 30 minutes from the city where I was visiting. By the afternoon, the plans were made for me to get to the funeral. Maddie’s family was not at the funeral. There were only 12 or 13 people who attended. Half of them were construction workers who are building a new home for them. Maddie was Maddie. Of course, she was grieving her loss; but she remained friendly and happy to have the few people there who were able to attend.

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I was struck by God’s tender mercies extended toward a young widow whose husband suddenly collapsed and died in front of her. It was an honor to be a part of the funeral for this brave young woman who suddenly lost her husband and best friend. There are many things that can be said about the intellectually disabled community. In counting their assets, their bravery is one virtue that often becomes valor. Maddie is finding the peace that only God can give in the middle of her loss. Additionally, she is showing the strong bravery that is often present in this unique and wonderful community.

Justice and MercyAs we know, it was God's undeniable sense of justice that demanded that He allow Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross. However, it was God's mercy that allowed this perfect human to be killed for the sin of all mankind. While we can do ...

Explaining GraceIn the past weeks, I’ve been going over some of the key words in our covenant relationship with God with the members of my community who are intellectually disabled. Perhaps one of the most important words we use is grace.
Most of us have ...

Holidays and griefToday, I heard again the Christmas song about the little boy whose mother is dying on Christmas eve and he wants to buy her shoes to wear as she goes into heaven. He doesn’t have enough money to buy the shoes and a person in line gives him the ...

Can You Come?Maddie is one of those people within the mentally challenged community whom everyone loves. She is friendly and happy. Maddie makes everyone feel as though they are her "extra-special friend." Several years ago Mattie and her husband ...